Whether you like it or not, we are in a major paradigm shift in our culture. The generation known as Generation Y or Millennials (roughly ages 18-30) is vastly different from their predecessors. Sure, each generation is different from the previous, but this shift is on page with the huge divide which came about between Baby Boomers and the Greatest Generation. If you aren't sure what I'm talking about, just look at the many changes which developed and occurred in the 1960s.

There have been numerous attempts to analyze my generation (in case you're not a regular reader, I am part of this group) and just as many attempts to "solve the Millennial mess" as I've heard one person say. Over the next few posts I want to give you my take on Millennials. No, I'm not a Social Scientist, I haven't conducted polls, nor put together empirical data to prove my points. Then again, I am a member of this generation. I know how we think and why we do what we do. I think I can safely say I have enough insight to help those outside the Millennials understand what is going on in our heads. So, I invite you to follow the elements for the next few weeks as we examine who the Millennials are and how they will continue to bring the Gospel of Christ to a lost world.

Before we jump into all that, let's take the time in this post to lay out a profile of Millennials. Oh, I should note I will use "Gen Y" & "Millennials" interchangeably.

Relational: Millennials value relationships above anything else. We dread isolation. Relationships are at the core of who we are and it's why Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and other uses of social media are such a hit. We're the one demographic which could fuel the social media world by itself. Millennials are in constant communication with friends through texting, playing Call of Duty on XBOX Live, using Skype or Facetime to video chat, etc. Building and maintaining relationships are nearly effortless (however, this doesn't mean there is much depth to them).

Technological: In all honesty, this should probably be integrated with "Relational" because the two often go hand-in-hand. Nearly every aspect of a Millennial's life will wind up as a Facebook status or Tweet. Technology is second nature us. We learned how to surf the Web in elementary school, install (and even write) software programs, and utilize AOL Instant Messenger before social networks came onto the scene! You will find Gen Y utilizing technology into every day life 24/7. There are of course good and bad consequences to this, but the bottom line is technology and Gen Y are inseparable. If you want to communicate with them, you better understand how to use technology.

Skeptical: Millennials do not trust institutions. They also don't discriminate against institutions because you will find they don't trust government, corporations, educational systems, or even religious institutions. Nothing is fully 100% trusted even if it appears so on the surface. Millennials question everything an institution does, even if they support that institution. We've seen too much. Think about it. Our generation has witnessed the failure & corruption of businesses, ministerial leaders in Protestant & Catholic churches, government leaders, university systems, etc. No matter who you blame for the 2008 economical collapse, Gen Y realizes institutions are at fault to some degree and for the first time ever a generation believes it will be worse off than their parents' generation. Institutions aren't to be fully trusted, but are a necessary evil in Gen Y's eyes.

Family: Unlike previous generations, Gen Y is reluctant to leave home. Millennials are choosing to remain at home well past the age of 18 and even 22, the traditional age for graduating college. There is no one solid reason for this move. Some are motivated by finances, others because they have no clear-cut-definitive plan for their lives yet, and still some are just very close to their families. Millennials will describe themselves as being very close their families, but they don't communicate too well with them. Communciation usually is pretty shallow, but perhaps this is a result of the ever-increasing busyness of American households.

Spiritual: If I had a dime for every time I heard someone say my generation is "godless," I would be a rich man. Often we equate "godless" with athiesm because we think people aren't spiritual. Millennials are very spiritual. In fact, I would venture to say we are far more spiritual than many Baby Boomers, Busters, and those in Generation X. The problem is Millennials are spiritual in the wrong things. They are very tolerant and accepting of other belief systems, but believe we have an innate spiritual side to us as human beings. This view also defines where Gen Y stands on morality and principles, a topic we'll cover later.

These are five main traits I will spend several posts on. Some traits will require more depth and so we'll spend a little longer on them. Keep in mind I'm broadly categorizing my generation, not dealing with specific individuals or groups of people. I ever get specific, I'll let you know. I hope you stay with the elements and follow this series. It will certainly help those of you outside Gen Y in dealing with them and reaching them for Christ.

I found it interesting in the aftermath of North Carolina's recent constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage, how many people started turning to the Bible.  Both sides used God's Word in defense of their position (yet another interesting point) and both sides made egregious errors in doing so.  I'll be honest.  Every time I hear the Word of God interpreted incorrectly, no matter who is reading from it, I cringe.  In general, the Bible is not filled with passages which have relative meanings and definitions.  The passages are set in stone.  They have a context and intent which must be followed if you're going to interpret it correctly.

Let me jump off the soapbox though.  In parcticular what stood out for me were the many comments made by people who claim you can't take the Bible literally.  Which of course got me thinking.  Should we really take the Bible literally?  You can't possibly take every single solitary sentence as literal.  Clearly, there are metaphors, figures of speech, elements of foreshadowing, etc. found within scripture.  Those are certainly not to be taken literally.  However, much of the Bible should be viewed as literal.  I realize if you haven't accepted Jesus as Lord of your life you aren't likely to agree with me one iota.  I hope that changes.  I hope and pray you do come to accept him one day, but there are many Christians who don't view the Bible as literal.  This presents a problem.  I can't think of a better source to look at briefly on this issue than the Son of God himself.

Jesus affirmed the scriptures as literal.  He quotes the Old Testament as a literal collection of God's laws throughout the Gospels.  He states in Matthew 5:17: "Don't misunderstand why I have come.  I did not come to abolish the Law of Moses or the writings of the prophets.  No, I came to accomplish their purpose."  So what, you think.  So, Jesus is affirming the validity of Old Testament law.  It's literal.  He hasn't come to change it, but fulfill it.  Yeah, but doesn't Jesus say things like, "turn the other cheek" and stuff?  He does, but he's not necessarily saying "an eye for an eye" is wrong.  The intent behind that law was to limit justice to fit the crime.  If someone stole from you, you couldn't gain justice by chopping off their head.  That is a gross exaggeration of justice which doesn't fit the limits "an eye for an eye" established.  Jesus is arguing you should go further than limiting justice to fit a crime.  He's implying you should just let God take care of the justice.  After all, God says "I will take revenge, I will pay them back" (Deuteronomy 32:35).  What you have with all of these "you've heard it said, but I tell you..." statements made by Jesus are not changes to any Old Testament law or teaching.  Instead, you have Jesus either deepening the commands or claryfing distortions.  If you'd like to know more about that, just drop me an email.  You can find it on the Contacts page.

The Apostles also viewed the Bible and Jesus' teachings as literal.  Jesus quite literally commands them in Matthew 28:18-20 to go and make disciples of the nations.  We find them doing just that throughout the New Testament.  In fact, we find them telling people to believe in Jesus Christ as Lord in order to be saved (Acts 16:31).  Sounds like they took Jesus words very literally, "I am the Way, Truth, and Life.  No one comes to the Father except through me," (John 14:6).  These are the same Apostles who are responsible for the spread of the Gospel and continuing the foundation laid by Jesus of the Body of Christ.  Furthermore, much of the Apostles' writings confirm their beliefs the scriptures and Jesus' words were to be taken literally.  You can find this throughout letters like Romans, Hebrews, and both 1 & 2 Peter.

Both Jesus and the Apostles believe the scriptures were to be taken literally, but the sticky situation people get in is attempting to understand what this "new covenant" Jesus established was.  Jesus' ministry and atoning sacrifice fulfills God's words in Jeremiah 31:31-34.  Israel has broken their original covenant with the Lord.  God in turn is going to renew this old covenant, but it will be different from the original given when they left Egypt.  It's important to note the Hebrew in this passage is better translated "renew" than "new."  What does this mean?  It means the Old Testament isn't invalidated as a result of Jesus' teachings and sacrifice.  On the contrary, as mentioned earlier, Jesus validates the Old Testament and explains many of the laws' intentions.  The original covenant is then, renewed with Jesus insofar as teaching goes.  The big change is the process of salvation and forgiveness of sins which no longer come through animal sacrifices, but have been made possibly by Christ's sacrifice and resurrection.

Undoubtedly, some of you will cry "foul" and want me to extrapolate further on everything I tried to cover here.  Just remember, I'm not writing a treatise or anything, this is a blog.  Hopefully, if you're a Christian who doesn't believe scripture is to be taken literally, you have a renewed interest in doing some digging.  Ultimately, I can't ignore the fact Jesus and his Apostles treat it as literal.  Again, remember we're speaking in general terms as there are certainly literary devices and figures of speech found throughout the Bible in specific places.  If Jesus views the Bible as literal and even questionable historical figures like Jonah as having existed, shouldn't we as Christians hold the same position? 

"The LGBT community deserves a voice!  In fact, Jesus affirmed a gay couple's relationship in Matthew 8!"  "Hell is a mere metaphor implemented by Jesus to encourage ethical behavior."  "Since God is love (1 John 4:8) He could never send anyone to Hell.  He loves people too much."  "Whether you're Muslim, Buddhist, Christian, it doesn't matter.  In the end, we are all rewarded for our good behavior.  We will all dwell in peace for eternity."

Those statements are compilations of actual remarks made to me over the years concerning biblical truth.  This isn't a shocker for many of you I'm sure.  However, the fact they came from ministerial leaders and even pastors might.  There is a growing trend which has deep roots, especially within my generation, of teaching scriptures on a selective basis.  It is quite common to hear of leaders supporting homosexuality without acknowledging the legitimacy of scriptures which clearly condemn it.  It isn't a far-fetched idea when you see how often some will minimize sin and while they're at it blot Hell out all together.

If these leaders are called to proclaim the Gospel, why ignore or attack select scriptures?  I can't judge their hearts, only God can, but I can attest to what Paul wrote in 2 Timothy 4:3-4.  In this passage Paul says a time is coming when people will hear what they want to hear and refuse to follow correct biblical teaching.  Instead, they will follow after teachers who teach what they want to hear and chase after myths.  If ever there was a time when his words are ringing true it is most certainly now.

There is a danger in preaching selected texts without giving the full context its due diligence.  Better yet, there is a danger in twisting scriptural texts to fit the meaning you want.  It's common in Evangelical circles to hear well-intentioned phrases like, "This passages means this to me.  What do you suppose it means to you?"  Scripture can't mean one thing to one person and another thing to someone else.  It's not relative, it's absolute.  However, this sort of post-modern thinking has infiltrated leaders and they are teaching scripture on a basis that is is relative truth.

James 3:1 warns against people aspiring to be teachers of the Word.  Why?  Ministerial leaders will be judged more harshly than other believers.  Think about it.  God has entrusted us as leaders with the accurate teaching and proclamation of His Word.  It's a huge responsibility.  When Jay Carney gives a press conference he is representing President Obama.  How he conveys truth to the press corps reflects, for better or worse, upon the President.  I can assure you there has been more than one occasion where the President was not happy with Mr. Carney's interpretations!  Representing God's voice, interpreting the Word accurately, is a huge responsibility and should never taken lightly.  You can't just put anyone behind a pulpit.  It is only for the called leaders who have been given this responsibility (mind you, they don't choose it).

The responsibility of a pastor doesn't stop at just teaching and preaching.  It carries over into shepherding.  Pastors are shepherds.  We are responsible for guiding and leading the people of God.  This too, is no easy task.  It is also not a popularity contest.  Guiding means you have to correct people.  It means you have to make sure they are on the right path doing the right thing which in the end is devoting themselves completely to the Lord and staying in His will.  We are judged on how well we lead others.

My heart breaks when I see leaders dumbing down scripture, ignoring passages, and leading the people away from the Lord.  As pastors we are called to teach, preach, and lead others in the whole Word of God.  We will have to stand and account for the times we failed to do so.  We don't have the luxury of picking and choosing (no one does for that matter).  In our court system here in America it is common for us to swear an oath upon the Bible that we will tell the "whole truth and nothing, but the truth."  The whole truth.  Are you as a pastor or leader teaching the whole truth?

Easter is a fantastic time of year.  Major League Baseball is usually in full swing, Spring is alive and kicking, and Middle Tennessee (where I'm from) is alive with Thunderstorm and Tornado warnings.  I mean, fantastic.  Kidding aside, its a tremendous weekend.  As Christians, we celebrate the death and resurrection of our Savior, Jesus Christ.  Churches will be packed across the world on Easter Sunday and thousands will come to know Christ as their personal Savior.  Now, that's what makes Easter fantastic!

If you venture into a church this Sunday you'll hear great messages all talking about Jesus.  Some will focus on the empty tomb, others on the sacrificial work of the cross, and still a few more themes like redemption.  All those are excellent, but what has stood out for me this Easter has been God's grace.  What is grace exactly?  Grace is our unmerited pardon for our sin coming from God alone.

You see, you can't earn grace.  God freely gives it and He can freely give it because Jesus died and rose again for our sins.  There aren't enough good works you could possibly to do to earn grace which had such a high cost.  Not only can you not earn it, you need it.  Each of us is guilty of sin, each of us needs God's grace.

I'm reminded of those of us who have committed heart-breaking sins.  Our actions resulted in consequences far-reaching beyond ourselves; affecting other people in our lives.  The tendency is quite often to run from God and those whom the Lord has brought into our lives.  We feel if we run or somehow avoid God, the shame, hurt, and conviction we experience will eventually dissipate.  The truth is this doesn't happen.  The problem only grows worse and further weighs us down.

It is because of God's grace that He can accept us and forgive any sin, no matter how deep or far-reaching.  God's grace is greater than we could ever imagine.  Nothing and I mean absolutely nothing could ever make God love us less.  The same must be true for those who follow the Lord.  Nothing others do should ever make us love them any less.  As God shows us grace through the atoning work of His Son, so should we show others that same grace.  Why run from God when sin has infected us instead of running to Him?  You won't find shame, anger, or pain; only grace.

Science and faith can work. That was the point briefly made in the previous post. Again, let's be clear: I'm not defending Miley Cyrus, but I truly believe science and faith are not 100% opposed to each other. What concerns so many people, and I must admit myself as well, with the tweet Miss Cyrus sent out was her "forget Jesus" comment. I know there are more than a few of you wondering, "Why are you spending your time talking about a teen-pop star?" My focus isn't solely on Miley Cyrus, she just reflects a broader issue. My focus is on the influencers who students will give their time, money, and attention to.

You see, for thousands of younger teens and those who might be entering that phase of life this year, Miley Cyrus is a huge deal. They've watched her on Hannah Montana, gone to the concerts, worn the outfits, bought the albums, etc. They've been influenced by her. What do they make of her comment concerning Jesus I wonder? How will that affect/impact them? You can't brush this off as, "Oh, they'll be fine. They know what Miley said isn't true," because without a doubt her comments will influence at the very least some hundreds who have struggled with the "God question" even at an early age. Whether you want to accept it or not, this is a serious issue.

Miley isn't really influential among older teens. It's a rarity. However, Lady Gaga is. You may think she looks like a freak at times, but kids love her. Normally, I'm not on a "moral police" trip. I get turned off by that sort of thing, but Lady Gaga's comments about Jesus and the songs she puts out there are so terrible and so wrong, I can't ignore it. I have no shame in saying there is not one single good reason for your student to ever listen to her. How will she influence an upcoming generation of students? Again, you can't make the mistake of just writing this kind of thing off.

Our culture is saturated with entertainment. One of the fallacies of America in the late 20th century and now in the 21st century is how much our nation has embraced it. The top influencers among teenagers are performers--not educators, not scientists, not great national leaders, or even those who are men/women of high integrity regardless of religious affiliation. No, they're performers in music & film or they're grossly overpaid athletes with hugely inflated egos. Kids want to be like these people. They command an enormous amount of influence and its really showing.

So, what are you to do? You can't isolate a student and build a "Christian" bubble around them. Please don't do that. That will only cause greater problems down the road. They need to understand how to interact with the world, to know what Jesus really meant when he said he wanted his disciples to be "in the world, but not of it."

Let me ask you a question. How often do you have devotions and prayer at home? I'm not talking about personal devotions and prayer, though those are important. I'm talking about as a family. How can you expect your student to be prepared with all the traps this world has if you can't spend time as a family to grow together? Preparing your student for the barrage of worldly influences they will face starts in building their faith at home. This isn't something you can outsource to the Church. The Church is supposed to help you as a secondary, not primary, faith builder. That's your job. Will this ensure your student will never fall into the traps set for them? No. There will be plenty of times where they will fall, but you will have done your God-given job. You will have done everything in your power to build their faith up in Christ.

Let me tell you, students who are grounded in faith at home are the ones who will most of the time make it. They're the ones who stand firm and see through the spiritually deadly influences so many others follow. It might seem like you're fighting against the world, and you are, but you're not alone. There are other believers fighting the same fight and there is a God who will certainly be fighting with you. Forget Jesus? Those will be words Miss Cyrus will wish she never tweeted when one day her knee bows and her tongue confesses "Jesus is Lord."

There has been quite a bit of buzz lately over Miley Cyrus' tweet concerning faith and science.  In case you haven't seen it, you can check it out right here:

You are all stardust. You couldn't be here if stars hadn't exploded, because the elements (carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, all the things that matter for evolution) weren't created at the beginning of time. They were created in stars. So forget Jesus. Stars died so you can live.

Let's be clear here, I'm not defending Miley Cyrus.  I know the stars didn't die so I might live.  Jesus, the Son of the Living God, died so me, you, Miss Cyrus, and others in this world might one day live.  No astronomical body can hold that distinction.

What Miss Cyrus' tweet has done though is open dialogue on this issue between science and faith.  This post isn't about what she said.  Her comments are certainly troubling enough and I'll definitely address them from a spiritual standpoint, but let's do that in the next post.  For now, let's focus on what this tweet is a small reflection of:  the divide which shouldn't exist between science and faith.

Our society as a whole has watched science and faith draw a line in the sand.  We're basically told by both sides, "You can't be a scientist or else you're doomed to become an athiest.  You can't be a follower of Christ or else you have turned your back on science."  Both positions are wrong.  Science and faith can work.

Evolution is the hot-button issue which seems to rile up both sides.  Clearly, Miss Cyrus was making a point about evolution in her tweet.  If we are to be fair here we need to look at Evolution for what it is, a theory.  Scientists accept this, but some go out on a limb and try to teach it as fact.  This is not only wrong, it is irresponsible for them as scientists.  Evolution hasn't been proven.  That's the only fact.  You cannot replicate evolution.  You can't create an environment where you can test it.  It's simply a theory.  If we are going to continue being fair, we must also recognize the Creation Theory cannot be replicated.  We can't create an environment where we can test it.  At the very least in a secular world evolution and the Creation Theory should both be equally viewed as theories (for the record, I believe God created this world).

I don't want this to turn into an Evolution vs. Creation Theory debate.  That isn't the point of this post.  The point is to briefly explain why science and faith can work.  By its very nature science allows for the existence of a God who works supernaturally within this world.  Faith, in turn, allows for the existence of science.  Do you honestly believe God did not give scientists their intelligence and giftings for a purpose?  Of course He did!  Scientific discoveries have helped improve the standard of living on this planet.  Don't let someone tell you that you can't be a passionate follower of Christ and be a physicist.  That's nonsense.  If that is the calling God has given you, then go for it!  He's given you the intelligence and giftings for a specific purpose.

Let me give you some quick examples.  My wife is a nurse.  As she began to study the human anatomy and then immerse herself in psychology, pharmacology, and other areas of nursing her faith was strengthened.  She recognized the complexities of the human body alone are evidence nothing in creation was left to chance.  God indeed had put everything together.  She loves science and it is because of science she loves God even more than when she first entered college.  My graduate school roommate as well as my youngest brother are mechanical engineers whose faith only increased with their study of science.  I could go on and on with brief examples of those who love the Lord with all of their heart and are in some science-related field whether it be chemistry, medicine, engineering, etc.

What we've done in society is take young people and force them to choose one or the other.  These previous examples show us science and faith can work.  Yet, in the scientific community it is acceptable practice to degrade/belittle someone for their faith as superstition or ignorance.  In the Church, we don't want to answer the difficult questions or encourage young people to do the same.  Stop it!  Encourage fellow scientists in their faith!  Let the young people ask the difficult questions!  Science and faith aren't opposing forces, they can work together!

I mentioned earlier there were troubling aspects spiritually speaking from Miss Cyrus' comments.  I'll certainly address them in the next post, but don't take her comments as further fuel for the anti-faith or anti-science debate.  Use them to open up good dialogue.  Science and faith work.

I realize it's been a while since posting on the elements, but I'll just say the last few weeks have been non-stop for us in Nashville.  I need you to do something for me.  If you are considering switching churches right now or maybe you've already decided to go that route, read this post.  If you know someone who is leaning heavily toward switching churches, forward this post to them.  Why?  There are just a few thoughts I really want those of you thinking about switching to dwell upon.

If I had to guess, I would say you're switching churches because: A) the style of worship is not to your preference, B) you're not "getting anything" out of Sunday morning services, C) someone offended you, maybe multiple times, D) too many old people or too many young people, E) all of the above.  How many selected "E" out there?  Right, so naturally when a church isn't working out for you the best move is just to take off...or is it?  What if I told you switching churches rarely works?  What if I told you switching churches only undermines the real root issue--you're spiritual life is in decay?  Now, I know there exceptions.  I realize churches with moral failures and the like are not necessarily great places to continue to grow as a believer.  Let's throw those exceptions out the window though.  I want to invite you to consider a few things before making this switch you're pondering.

Sunday mornings don't grow mature believers.  If you're one of those people who wants to switch churches because you can't stand Sunday mornings, you're not "getting anything" out of them, the worship isn't to your preference, etc. chances are you're pegging your spiritual growth in that Sunday AM service.  That's a terrible move.  Why?  Mature believers, those who are growing in Christ, don't really grow that much on Sunday mornings.  Don't get me wrong, they're challenged, inspired, convicted, and built up, but they typically don't go through periods of exponential growth during a 1.5 hour service.  Mature believers understand real spiritual growth is a "big picture" thing.  It happens when you take Sunday AM attendance and combine it with daily personal prayer/devotion, small groups, Sunday School, bible studies, etc.  They don't peg their growth in one service because they understand spiritual growth can't come in just one weekly worship event.  If you're banking on growing from Sunday mornings, I have to tell you that no matter what church you go to next you will not escape your problem.  You'll still fail to really grow because you're pinning all of your spiritual growth in one service.  It just doesn't happen that way.  This isn't a good reason to switch where you're at.  Instead, get more involved.  Get in a small group, go to Sunday School, attend prayer meetings or bible studies.  Expand beyond just Sunday morning.

I don't like the worship.  Can I let you in on a secret?  I don't always like the style of worship in my church and I'm a pastor!  I mean, I'm 26 years old.  I have a completely different style of worship from some of the elders in our church body, but I realize when, Lord willing, I turn 55 that my worship style will still be different from others in my church!  Does it hold me back from worshipping the Lord?  No.  Real worship is about your heart's response to your Creator.  Musical preference and style should never dictate your heart's response to God.  If it does, you have a major problem.  Eventually when you switch churches you'll grow tired of their worship style.  Maybe it will be too old or too young for you, maybe the songs will not be as energetic as they were, I don't know, but eventually you'll leave that place for the same reason--I don't like the worship.  Worship isn't the problem.  Your relationship with the Lord is.  True believers will go beyond the worship style and pour their hearts out to their Savior.  Why, because Jesus and all he has done and who he is demands it.

The pastor ticked me off.  I understand sometimes this is a valid point.  I hate to say it, but there are pastors out there who aren't godly at all, but 99% of them are real men of God.  Typically people get upset when they are told something which is so blatantly true, it convicts them.  They mistake this conviction for hurt and conclude the pastor hurt them.  No my friend, the pastor did his job.  He gave you sound, godly advice about the direction your life was heading or about the decisions you were making and you wanted him to side with you and your thoughts about the topic.  If anything, this is a reason to stay at your church and not leave.  It shows how much your pastor cares and loves you, so much so that he is willing to give you the right counsel on an objective basis even though he realizes this will sting for you.  If your heart was in the right place you would have taken his counsel as godly advice and submitted to it.  He isn't trying to "one-up" you, he's trying to help you and get you on the right track with your spiritual growth.

At the expense of creating an even longer post, I need to wrap this up.  Earlier I said when people normally switch churches they are undermining a more important problem.  I realize there are valid reasons for switching, so understand I'm not blanketing everyone.  However, most cite one or more of the reasons above and others similar to them as justifiable excuses to leave.  The problem isn't the church, the problem is your spiritual life.  You're not growing.  You're pulling away, disengaging from the church and those who love you and care deeply for you.  You're hoping this disengagement will help justify why you're leaving.  You'll say, "I'm not growing.  It's why I can't come to this service, or that event, or that meeting."  No sir, you're not growing, but it is because you have failed to address the root problem of your issue.  You're spiritual life is floundering and you want someone to blame and that someone is the church you're at.  At some point you will find at the next church the same issues arise.  You'll make the same decision and move on to another place.  It's an endless cycle.  Before jumping ship and going somewhere else, ask yourself some very hard and difficult questions.  Examine your own spiritual life.  You will likely find you're church isn't the problem.  The problem is you.

I'm sure you've been told before in difficult and seemingly hopeless situations that the best thing you can do is pray.  So you pray...and pray, and pray some more.  Still, nothing.  No answer.  No action.  Why?  Shouldn't this God who is said to exist answer your prayers?  Isn't that His job?  He's supposed to fix things, watch out for good people, and make sure that miracles happen right when they're supposed to.  Only for you, your miracle didn't (or maybe hasn't) happened.  The Christian parent, girlfriend, co-worker, or neighbor who told you to just "pray" must have a sick sense of humor.  God doesn't listen, you think.

It's interesting you were told to just "pray" by your Christian friend.  I'd like to ask you a short series of questions if that's OK.  Have you ever really trusted in God?  I don't mean in times of dire need, I mean trusted Him each and every day.  Is God your number one love or do other things and even people crowd Him out?  Have you taken Him seriously at His call for you to live your life for Him?  This means you no longer call your own shots.  You begin to live as God, in His Word and through His Spirit, calls you to live.

How did you do on those questions?  You know a long time ago there was a group of people whom God blessed beyond measure.  He had given them everything they could have wanted.  They enjoyed quite a bit of prosperity, and all they had to do was worship and live for Him in order for this blessing to continue.  That's it.  Over time though, these people began to call their own shots.  They started to live their lives how they pleased and eventually the "little sins" they committed, you know those "white lie" type things, turned into monstrous sins.  If you open a Bible to Ezekiel 8 you'll see what some of these people are caught doing.  One of the saddest passages in scripture is found in 8:7-12.  There are many prominent leaders among these people who were once charged with leading the nation in worship and service to God in a small room.  There, in secret (or so they think), they worship other gods.  They think God doesn't know because it's done in a secret room, but He sees everything. 

You can read the chapter for yourself, but what you see are people worshipping and serving other gods apart from the one God who had so greatly blessed them.  The irony is these people would later expect God to help them in a dire time of need. Interesting how that attitude reflects the attitudes of many people. They want God to do things for them, but they aren't willing to do anything for God.  Sin has consequences.  It always comes at a price and the price is always more than we can bear.  As punishment, God would send another nation to conquer these people and tear them away from the land and prosperity He had given them.  Even though they would cry out to Him and pray, He promised He would not listen to their prayer or show them any mercy.

We wrongly think God will always listen to our prayers because He loves us unconditionally, but what if God only turns His ear to prayers from those who make serving Him a priority?  See, God will listen to your prayers and He will make a way for you, but only if you are willing to give everything up for Him.  It's a pretty fair trade considering He gave everything up for you when He sent His Son to die in your place for your sins.  It's wrong to think He should be at our beck and call, even in situations of desperate need, just because He is God. He does love everyone and there are times when He does do great and miraculous things for people who aren't even serving Him for the purpose of having them recognize He is indeed God.  However, He has every right not to listen to your prayers when you have no intention of living for Him.  When God doesn't listen it usually means something isn't quite right in your life spiritually.  Perhaps if you can come to a place where you can commit yourself to the Lord, He'll listen the next time around.

It's election season and for former and current political junkies like myself it's more like a year-long Christmas season. It's been in my blood ever since I worked for then House Rep. Jim DeMint on his U.S. Senate campaign. Before we get started, let's get a few things straight. First, by "Christian" I mean someone who is truly born-again, who has a relationship with Jesus. I'm not referring to someone who goes to church once or twice a month (or less) and labels themselves as Christian. That's important to understand. Second, I am not attempting to sway any one person's vote in this piece. You have a right to vote in this country as you please and I respect that position. What I am attempting to do is answer a question countless Christians have had during this election cycle: "Should I vote Mormon? Is it OK for me to cast a ballot in favor of Mitt Romeny (or, up until this week, John Huntsman)?"

It's neat to see the national spotlight on my home state of South Carolina. If ever there was a state which broadly reflected where the GOP wishes to be in perfect balance with fiscal conservative beliefs and social conservative beliefs, it's this one. There is a reason the winner in SC has gone on to claim the GOP nomination every primary season. This season Mitt Romney leads the pack and whether anyone wants to talk about it publicly or not, they are all talking about it behind closed doors. The "it" is his Mormon faith.

Many Christians struggle with this issue. I have talked with my fair share of those who oppose Romney and those who support him. About a quarter of the Christians who oppose Romney do so solely on the fact he is a Mormon. They believe every candidate's religious beliefs should be the deciding factor, if not the only factor, in how they vote.  They believe a strong spiritual leader is needed to guide the nation because this kind of leader might have the ability to steer America back to God.  After all, God judged Israel pretty harshly in the Old Testament for their sins on a national level.  This included ungodly kings who let sin run rampant.  If God did that with His chosen people, why would He not do that for anyone else?

So, what about those Christians who are voting for Romney?  They see things a little differently.  They want someone in office who can govern effectively and they don't feel like the President needs to be their pastor.  These Christians want this nation to begin turning towards God, but the President in their view isn't the leader who can do this, even if he is a strong a believer.  They have seen presidents like Jimmy Carter and George W. Bush who talked about their strong faith make some huge governing mistakes we are still paying for.  God may judge America, in fact they will probably argue He has to, but electing a Christian President in their view would not deter that judgment.  Mormon?  No big deal.

If you read a previous Elephant in the Room series post on voting Republican, then it will come as to no surprise to you I supported Romney in 2008.  This doesn't mean you have to support him, but I believe he can govern more effectively than the other candidates.  America needs to turn to God, but the President is not our spiritual leader.  He is not the person who will bring us back.  If we place all our hope in a godly President, we will be sorely disappointed.  Our hope should never lay in men, it should lay in the Lord.  We need God to move in an incredible way in lives throughout this country.  Should a Christian vote Mormon?  That's entirely up to you.  If you see the President as a spiritual leader, I suppose you wouldn't want to cast that vote.  Just remember though, we shouldn't place our hope for spiritual renewal in a man. 

Jefferson Bethke has lit up the internet in recent weeks.  Log on to your Facebook, Twitter, or YouTube accounts and you're likely to see his video featuring a spoken word poem on religion and Jesus.  Bethke's message is an attempt to help people understand the difference between Jesus and religion.  While his poem has garnered a large support base, it has also sparked a growing debate.  You can check the poem out here for yourself.

I think Bethke is pretty clear in the video about religion--it's bad.  The uproar against him has come from those who think he is railing against the Church.  Now, I don't know about you, but my hearing is really good.  He never attacks the Church, he attacks religion.  Bethke does so with good reason.  Religion is what turns so many people, particularly my generation, off from the church.  Religion is about power, control, prestige, position, and wealth.  It's a great description of who the Pharisees were in the Bible.

People who are religious know their stuff.  They can quote scripture, they attend churches, they may even have leadership positions.  So, I can see why some people on the outside have a hard time separating religion from the Church.  However, there is a huge difference.  You need the Church.  I know you may have left or decided against ever stepping through the door for a variety of reasons, but hear me out.  Here is what the Church should be:

Family:  Each person in the Church should be equally loved and valued regardless of who they are or where they come from.  No one is better than the next person.  I'm afraid some churches haven't entirely grasped this vital concept yet and maybe you were a victim of being neglected.  God's design for the Church was for us to be united in love (1 Cor. 13).  We are to be there for each other in times of need providing encouragement, love, and strength.  You need this and I need this.

Hospital:  OK, let me clarifiy.  You go to a hospital to get well, right?  You go there hoping to heal whatever is broken or wrong with you and have a medical physician "fix" you.  Churches serve as a place for the broken to find hope and healing in Jesus Christ.  This is true of the believer and the nonbeliever.  You have issues sometimes too deep for any psychologist or physician to fix.  They run spiritually deep in your soul and only God can heal those wounds.  The Church is a place for you to go and have assistance finding that healing.

Intellectual:  You have questions, most of the time the Church has answers.  Now, to be honest, churches don't have all the answers and when they don't have them, they should admit that.  However, you should always be able to ask any and every question no matter how deep or provocative which will help you in your walk with Christ (or maybe help you find him).  I get it.  You want to ask the tough questions, but you're told "You need to accept what this person has said as fact because they are trustworthy and have had years of experience behind them, etc, etc."  It's difficult to learn about a topic when you can't do the research isn't it?  Churches should encourage and invite intellectual digging.  They should answer the tough questions and admit when they don't know the answer.  It's OK not to have the answer for everything.

Spiritual:  Perhaps the most important reason you need Church deals with your spiritual journey.  We were never designed to walk this road alone.  Following Jesus is difficult and riding solo often results in us falling away from Christ.  You need others to help you, to pick you up when you fall, and to teach/mentor you.  Furthermore, you have spiritual giftings God has given you for the benefit of lifting up others and giving Him glory.  These giftings can be used outside the Church, but they're most effective when using them inside it, encouraging and strengthening the believers. 

As some of you will certainly point out, I didn't cover every single little aspect of what Church should be like.  Keep in mind this wasn't supposed to be an exhaustive list.  I know Church isn't perfect, but we need it.  I know there are some churches which have some, all, or none of the above points and that can pose a problem.  However, without Church we're like a one man football team. 

Imagine Peyton Manning going up against the Baltimore Ravens defense all by himself.  Good luck!  We're stronger when we are together, in fact we were designed to work together.  If Peyton has a full team with him, he is more than capable of beating one of the NFL's greatest defenses.  If he does it solo, he's toast.  That's not to say it will be perfect.  There are offensive penalties, plays which bust, and some letdowns when Peyton gets sacked, but in the end there is that "W," the win which is all that matters.  Our "W," our win, is getting there to Heaven and taking as many people as possible with us.  We don't need religion, but we sure need the Church.